Media Professionals Perception on Bribe and Corruption

ARUN P MATHEW & C PICHANDY
Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India

Abstract
Bribery among journalists could be seen widely in many places but is a comparatively less researched topic. It would be surprising for an average news consumer to know that the sometimes news story he reads in print or views on television might be the product of a bribe or some sort of incentive received by the journalist who covered that news. After all, we read and watch news on the sordid details of corruption in government and society in general through the media with such alarming alacrity, but would almost have never known about corruption in the media they subscribe. Moreover, when one talks about corruption in media, it is about how the media reports on corruption or on ‘paid news’ where the aspect of how the media establishments publish news after accepting monetary assistance.

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Arun P Mathew is a research scholar in the Department of Communication and Media Studies at Bharathiar University, Coimbatore – 641 046, Tamil Nadu, India. E-mail: arunm1416@gmail.com

C Pichandy was former head in the Department of Communication and Journalism at PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore.